The safest car in America is the Tesla Model S

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in America has awarded the all-electric, Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory without exception....

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in America has awarded the all-electric, Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory without exception. That’s quite the accolade, particularly when some have concerns about the safety of batteries in a crash. Of all vehicles tested, including every major make and model approved for sale in the United States, the Model S set a new record for the lowest likelihood of injury to occupants. While the Model S is a sedan, it also exceeded the safety score of all SUVs and minivans. Sorry soccer mums, that 4WD isn’t protecting your kids better anymore.

There’s some great reasons why the Model S scored this highly and its largely attributed to it’s new power train. The Model S has the advantage in the front of not having a large gasoline engine block, thus creating a much longer crumple zone to absorb a high speed impact. This is fundamentally a force over distance problem – the longer the crumple zone, the more time there is to slow down occupants at g loads that do not cause injuries.

It will be interesting to see if Tesla can maintain this level of safety when moving into more affordable, vehicles in the future. If you’re a fan of Tesla, they are currently taking pre-orders in Australia ($6K for the Model S) and have a delivery date of Autumn 2014.

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